Stanley Black & Decker (SBD) has filed a lawsuit over the confusion of its brand name with the Stanley drinkware label from Pacific Market International (PMI).

In a complaint filed in the Connecticut Federal Court last week, SBD said it had signed with PMI an agreement that limited the latter’s use of the Stanley brand name to “only insulated or uninsulated beverage or food containers and carrying cases”.

SBD also said PMI had agreed to use its company name in association with the Stanley name to differentiate its products from SBD’s tool brand.

SBD stressed that PMI had “intentionally ignored” the agreement and used Stanley broadly, including in ways “that the agreement expressly prohibited and infringe on Stanley’s trademark rights”.

The company is seeking a court order to prohibit PMI from using “Stanley“ as any part of its company or brand name among other actions.

SBD is known for its industrial tools and household hardware. The company is the result of the merger of The Stanley Works (formed in 1920) and Black & Decker (founded in 1910) in March 2010.

Meanwhile, PMI’s Stanley brand dates back to 1913, when William Stanley Jr developed and patented the all-steel vacuum flask. 

In a statement, PMI said it strongly rebuts the lawsuit, challenging its “long-standing use of the federally registered and incontestable Stanley trademarks”.

“Stanley Black & Decker’s complaint takes aim at our century-old Stanley brand, apparently seeking to capitalize on our success and undermine over a century of innovation and hard work developing our food and beverage containment products,” said Matt Navarro, global president of PMI WW Brands.

The statement stressed that the two companies have distinct market positions and customer segments. PMI plans to “vigorously” defend this lawsuit and pursue all available remedies against SBD.